Travelling around Europe by hire car offers you much greater freedom than travelling by train, and gives you the chance to stop wherever you want, whenever you want to enjoy the local scenery and hospitability. Because rental is a popular option you will find international and national car hire companies in most larger towns and cities throughout Europe , offering very competitive prices, and you can also pre-book online so that the car is paid for and ready to pick up when you arrive.

Top Car Hire Tips

1. Have your credit card ready – you cannot hire a car in Europe without leaving credit card information as security, and many car hire companies only accept credit card payments, (not cash), so make sure you have a valid internationally accepted credit card ready when you arrive at the pick up.

2. Longer rentals are cheaper – renting a car for a week or longer is usually much more cost effective than hiring a car for a day or two, so hire a car for your whole holiday, and make the most of the cheaper rates to really explore the area you are staying in.

3. Book in advance – it can be much cheaper to reserve your hire car in advance, and if you can managed to book at least two months before you actually need the car you should get some really good deals.

4. Don’t book with travel agent – you rarely get the best deal on your hire car if you book it through a regular travel agents, so it is much better idea to sort this out yourself by visiting a rental car consolidator websites (such as Orbitz) or direct with the car rental company themselves.

5. Be flexible – if you can be flexible with the length of the rental period and the pick up/drop off dates and locations you should be able to get an even better deal on the total costs of the hire.

6. Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) – most rental car companies will offer daily rates minus the CDW charges, which can add up to 25% on the final hire price, so make sure you have taken this into account when you are comparing quotes. It is very important to have CDW cover, as damage on hire cars can cost hundreds of dollars for even just the basic cosmetic repairs, such as scraped door panels or dented bumpers.

University, which has been a centre for learning, research and academia for over 800 years, and has some of the most beautiful architecture in Britain, with honey gold stone buildings and the iconic domes and spires. Oxford is also situated along a lovely part of the River Thames, and there are many fine parks ad garden for visitors to enjoy.

Oxford is an ancient city, and takes its roots right back to an early medieval settlement, which was mainly built as a safe crossing place for cattle, and this is where it derived its name from ‘Oxen-ford’. By the time the first University colleges, (University College, Balliol College and Merton College) were built in the 13th Century, Oxford was already a large, bustling town with strong links to both agriculture and developing industries. These days Oxford is a busy, cosmopolitan University city, and the multitude of students from all round the world ensure that there are plenty of lively and diverse cafes, bars, clubs and restaurants.

Things to Do

University buildings and colleges

The University is one of the main attractions in Oxford, and several buildings in particular are worth a visit such as The Bodleian Library, which is not only one of the greatest research and academic libraries in the world, but is also set in a number of historic buildings including the famous the Divinity School, which is one of the most impressive examples of English gothic architecture in the country.

As well as looking around the buildings you can also see many public lectures, concerts and events at the historic Sheldonian Theatre, and to find out what is on here you can visit www.sheldon.ox.ac.uk.

The University Museums

The University has some great museums, and the Ashmolean Museum (established in 1683) has the distinction of being the oldest public museum in the world. The Ashmolean has a number of excellent diverse world class exhibits on archaeology and antiquities from all over the world, which span the length of human history. The History of Science Museum will interest anyone who has a passion for science, and has an impressive collection of scientific instruments throughout modern history. Another impressive museum is The Natural History Museum on Parks Road, which has a vast collection of exhibits from the natural world including thousands of fossils, crystals and rocks, and has been praised as a ‘cathedral to nature’.

The University of Oxford Botanic Garden

This garden was founded in 1621, and is the oldest botanical garden in Britain. It contains over 7,000 different species of plantlife from all around the world, and has some impressive glasshouses containing stunning rare and exotic climate sensitive plants.

Car rental can offer a hassle free, easy way to get around many different destinations in Europe , but does have some potentially costly downsides.

Pros

Many remote areas of Europe , from mountainous regions through to national parks are miles away from the nearest train station or airport, and it is much cheaper and easier to hire a car in most cases than go to all the bother of getting taxis and buses to visit these more inaccessible destinations. Rental cars also allow you much more freedom as you travel around on your holiday, allowing you to stop wherever you like, for as long as you like, and can be one of the only ways to see the less touristy areas of the country you are visiting. Also as rail ticket prices in are increasing significantly every year, hire cars can actually work out to be much cheaper than trains for longer journeys across Europe, despite the fact that petrol and diesel can be as much as €120 per week.

Cons

Many major European cities are extremely busy, and can be heavily congested with complicated road systems and aggressive driving styles, and it can be very stressful to drive around them if you are not used to the road layout and heavy traffic. Therefore it is recommended that travellers on city breaks stick to using the safer, less stressful public transport or taxis, and avoid hire cars unless taking trips out of town.

Hire cars can also come with hidden expenses, such as tax and drop off costs to different company branches or airports, so you must make sure the daily price you are quoted is all –inclusive. European hire car companies can charge very high prices to cover any vehicle damage, as much as €950 just to repair a broken wing mirror in some cases, so it is essential you take out Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), even though this could add another 25% to the final price, as this could save you hundreds, even thousands of Euros in the long run. You should also check the car carefully for cosmetic damage at the pick up point, and report any problems to the reception desk for it to be recorded on the paperwork before you leave, as this will avoid any possibility that you will be charged for any pre-existing damage.

You may find that some hire car companies add a surcharge for drivers under 25 as well, and most hire car companies in Europe do not accept drivers under the age of 21, or over the age of 75.

Liverpool is a bustling modern city, and there are so many things to see and do it is the perfect destination for a city break, and you can enjoy such varied activities as visiting museums, art galleries and the theatre, browsing the many shops, boutiques and markets and also going out in the evening for a wild night out of the town.

Getting Around

Most of the main shops and city sights are well within walking distance of each other, and this is a good way to get around and enjoy what the city has to offer at a more leisurely pace. The public transport system is also excellent, and this is another great way to get around, and there is a comprehensive interlinked system of buses, trains and even ferries that operate 24 hours a day. The two main bus stations are on Roe Street and Paradise Street, both close to the city centre, and from here you can get to most major destinations in the UK, as well as around Liverpool and the surrounding areas. The main train stations are Lime Street, Central Station, James Street and Moorfields , and these are connected to an excellent underground system, which is a cheap, quick and effective way to get around. There are also a number of sightseeing tours operating out of the city for buses, coaches and ferries, and these are a great way of learning more about the city and getting easily around all of the main tourist attractions.

Taxis are plentiful, and you can catch them from one of the many ranks on the main shopping streets and outside train/bus stations or you can hail one on the street. There are also plenty of top hire car companies operating in Liverpool such as Avis and Europcar, and you will need to be over 21-25, with a clean valid drivers license to hire a vehicle. The traffic in the city can be quite bad a rush hour, but the evenings and weekends are not too bad for driving around.

Top Attractions

Albert Dock

This excellent entertainment area has been built on the site of the historic old dock and warehouses, which was the first structure in Britain to be entirely constructed from cast iron, brick and stone. This was a working dock right up until 1972, but is now a busy and popular museum area, with many entertainments including bars, restaurants, cafes and shops. The Tate Liverpool is based here, and has one of the best collections of contemporary art in the country, and also has some excellent temporary special exhibits on loan from its sister galleries in London.

Beatles Story

The Beatles were one of Liverpool’s many great musical exports, and one of the most successful bands in the world, and this multilingual audio tour, also based at the Albert Docks, guides visitors through the story of the band, from the early days through to the phenomenal international stardom.

Liverpool Cathedral

This is the largest Anglican Cathedral in Britain, and a number of excellent architectural features for visitors to enjoy, and also has stunning views out over the city from the top of the tower. This cathedral has the highest and heaviest ringing bells in the world, and there are thirteen in total, named the Bartlett bells after Liverpudlian Thomas Bartlett, who bequeathed the funding for the bells.

Cannes is a glamorous destination on the France ‘s stunning Côte d’Azur coastline, and once a year hosts the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, which attracts the rich and famous from all around the world. Cannes has been a popular tourist destination for many years, with visitors coming to experience the gorgeous golden sandy beaches, clear blue waters, warm Mediterranean climate and excellent restaurants, bars, shops and leisure facilities

Shopping

Cannes has a number of excellent shopping areas, with everything from international designer brands such as Chanel, Dior and Gucci through to high class gastronomic markets and chocolatiers. La Croisette is the best place for high fashion, and you can also find a number of exclusive boutiques at the Gray d’Albion arcade, and many of the best patisseries and delicatessens are on Rue d’Antibes.

If you are interested in local food and produce then head down to Rue Meynadier, which has a number of lively local market stalls, or head over to Marché Forville (Forville Market) down by the town hall for best fresh vegetables, fruit and seafood. Most shops open between 10am and 7pm, closing for at least two hours for the traditional French lunchtime, usually between 12pm and 2pm. You will find that many shop assistants and waiting staff in Cannes speak fluent English, and international credit cards are accepted in most of the larger shops, cafes and restaurants.

Main Attractions

There are plenty of things to see and do in Cannes , and despite the very glamorous, modern appearance of the town this is actually a very historic place, with a rich and diverse history and was once a Roman settlement and also a major religious centre, and also home of the monks of the Lérins Isles. Main attractions include:

• Musée de la Castre (Castre Museum) – this interesting museum is situated in the chateau that once belonged to monks of the Lérins Isles, and has some fine collections of local artists from the 19th Century and also excellent displays of classical antiquities from around the Mediterranean and Middle East.
• Ile St Marguerite (St Marguerite Island) – this island is the famous site of the mysterious ‘Man in the Iron Mask’, who was imprisoned here for over 11 years. You can take trips out to the island and visit the Fort of St Marguerite, now the Musée de la Mer, where you can see his cell and also various interesting maritime exhibits.
• Ile St Honorat (St Honorat Island) – the Cistercian monks still inhabit St Honorat Island, and you can visit the ancient site of a medieval church, and also see parts of the monastery grounds where wines, honey, lavender oil and Lérina, (herbal liqueur) is produced.